Improving elections will be neither easy nor inexpensive. States need to make elections administration a top priority--updating systems and eliminating errors, doing more to register citizens, making voting convenient, and promoting information on registration and the voting process. Surely it is worth it. The legitimacy of the system of voting is strengthened by increased access for citizens and their confidence that votes are counted accurately and securely. Elections are contests over power. Ensuring that Americans have no reason to doubt the results is vital to the system's health. (Contains 4 notes.)